Abdominal pain is a common symptom in children and can be seen in various diseases. Due to the presence of important organs and meridians in the abdomen, any changes in the organs or meridians can cause abdominal pain. Common causes include exposure to cold in the abdomen, stagnation of milk and food, and worm infestation. Below, I will teach you some massage techniques for abdominal pain in children.
Cold-induced Abdominal Pain
Main symptoms: Sudden and severe abdominal pain, often occurring after exposure to cold or consumption of cold food, worsens with cold and improves with heat, pale complexion, sometimes accompanied by loose stools, pale tongue with white and slippery coating, and red fingerprints.
Techniques: Tonify the spleen meridian, Tianmen entrance to Hukou method, knead Spleen 13, push San Guan, massage the navel, pinch and knead Yi Wo Feng, grasp the corners of the abdomen.
1. Tonify the spleen meridian: Use the left hand to bend the child's thumb, and use the right hand's thumb to push along the radial side of the child's thumb from the tip to the root for 100-500 times.
2. Tianmen entrance to Hukou method: Hold the child's hand with the left hand, and use the thumb's radial side of the right hand to push into the Hukou point along the radial side of the child's index finger for 20-30 times, then knead the Banmen point for 30-50 times.
3. Knead Spleen 13: Hold the child's hand with one hand, palm facing up, and use the middle finger's fingertip to knead the Spleen 13 point 100-300 times.
4. Push San Guan: Extend the child's left arm with the palm facing inward, hold the child's wrist joint on the ulnar side with the left hand, extend the index finger downward, support the child's forearm, use the index finger and middle finger of the right hand to push from the radial side of the Yangchi point to the Quechi point for 100-200 times.
5. Massage the navel: The child lies supine, and use the palm or the fingertips of the thumb, index finger, and middle finger to massage the navel for 3-5 minutes, then use the palm root or the fingertips of the thumb, index finger, and middle finger to clockwise knead the navel for 100-200 times.
6. Pinch and knead Yi Wo Feng: Hold the child's palm with one hand, making the back of the hand face up, and use the thumbnail of the other hand's thumb to pinch Yi Wo Feng 3-5 times, then use the thumb or the fingertip of the middle finger to knead Yi Wo Feng for 50-100 times.
7. Grasp the corners of the abdomen: The child lies supine, and use the thumb, index finger, and middle finger of three fingers to grasp the corners of the abdomen deeply for 3-5 times.
Indigestion-induced Abdominal Pain
Main symptoms: Abdominal distension and pain, tenderness upon palpation, loss of appetite, belching, acid regurgitation, nausea, vomiting, frequent flatulence, diarrhea or constipation, greasy tongue coating, and slippery pulse.
Techniques: Clear and tonify the spleen meridian, clear the large intestine, knead Banmen, pinch and knead Yi Wo Feng, move the internal Eight Trigrams, knead Zhongwan, divide into yin and yang, divide the abdomen into yin and yang, press and rub along the meridians, grasp the corners of the abdomen, Tianmen entrance to Hukou method, push down the seven lumbar vertebrae.
1. Clear and tonify the spleen meridian: Hold the child's thumb with the right or left hand to fix it, and use the thumb's fingertip to push back and forth between the child's thumb root and tip for 100-500 times.
2. Clear the large intestine: Hold the child's index finger with one hand to fix it, and use the thumb's fingertip to push from the Hukou point to the tip of the finger for 100-500 times.
3. Knead Banmen: Hold the child's right hand with one hand, palm facing up, and use the thumb's fingertip to knead the Dafu point for 200-300 times.
4. Pinch and knead Yi Wo Feng: Hold the child's palm with one hand, making the back of the hand face up, and use the thumbnail of the other hand's thumb to pinch Yi Wo Feng 2-5 times, then use the thumb or fingertip of the middle finger to knead Yi Wo Feng for 50-100 times.
5. Move the internal Eight Trigrams: Hold the child's four fingers with one hand, palm facing up, and use the thumb to move from Qian Palace to Dui Palace for 100-500 times.
6. Knead Zhongwan: The child lies supine, and use the thumb or the fingertip of the index finger and middle finger to knead Zhongwan point for 2-3 minutes.
7. Divide into yin and yang: Place the index fingers of both hands on both sides of the child's palm root, support the child's back with the middle finger, ring finger, and little finger, use the thumbs of both hands to push the tendons on both sides for 50-100 times.
8. Divide the abdomen into yin and yang: The child lies supine, and use the thumbs to push from the xiphoid process along the rib arch on both sides for 50-100 times.
9. Press and rub along the meridians: Place the fingers of both hands together, rub and massage from the child's sides to the corners of the abdomen, keeping the palms close to the skin, like playing a string instrument, for 50-100 times.
10. Grasp the corners of the abdomen: The child lies supine, and use the thumbs, index fingers, and middle fingers of three fingers to grasp the corners of the abdomen deeply for 3-5 times.
11. Tianmen entrance to Hukou method: Hold the child's hand with the left hand, and use the thumb's radial side of the right hand to push into the Hukou point along the radial side of the child's index finger for 20-30 times, then knead the Banmen point for 30-50 times.
12. Push down the seven lumbar vertebrae: The child lies prone, and use the thumb's radial side or the fingertips of the index finger and middle finger to push the ancient sword from the fourth lumbar spinous process for 50-100 times.
Worm-infestation-induced Abdominal Pain
Main symptoms: Sudden onset of abdominal pain, severe pain around the navel, intermittent, sometimes a wriggling lump can be felt in the abdomen, sometimes hidden, history of worm infestation, emaciation, poor appetite, or pica, such as when roundworms penetrate the bile duct, the pain is like drilling the top of the head, intermittent with vomiting.
Techniques: Pinch and knead Yi Wo Feng, knead Spleen 13, push San Guan, massage the abdomen, knead the navel.
1. Pinch and knead Yi Wo Feng: Hold the child's palm with one hand, making the back of the hand face up, and use the thumbnail of the other hand's thumb to pinch Yi Wo Feng 3-5 times, then use the thumb or fingertip of the middle finger to knead Yi Wo Feng for 50-100 times.
2. Knead Spleen 13: Hold the child's hand with one hand, palm facing down, and use the thumb or fingertip of the other hand's thumb to knead Spleen 13 for 200-300 times.
3. Push San Guan: Extend the child's left arm with the palm facing inward, hold the child's wrist joint on the ulnar side with the left hand, extend the index finger downward, support the child's forearm, use the index finger and middle finger of the right hand to push from the radial side of the Yangchi point to the Quechi point for 200-300 times.
4. Massage the abdomen: The child lies supine, and use the palm or the fingertips of the thumb, index finger, and middle finger to massage the upper abdomen in a clockwise direction for 3-5 minutes.
5. Knead the navel: The child lies supine, and use the palm root or the fingertips of the thumb, index finger, and middle finger to knead the navel in a clockwise direction for 100-200 times.
Cold-induced Abdominal Pain
Main symptoms: Dull abdominal pain, likes warmth and pressure, sallow complexion, emaciation, poor appetite, prone to diarrhea, pale tongue with thin coating, and pale fingerprints.
Techniques: Tonify the spleen meridian, push San Guan, knead Banmen, knead the navel, knead Zusanli, grasp the corners of the abdomen.
1. Tonify the spleen meridian: Use the right or left hand to bend the child's thumb, and use the thumb's fingertip of the right hand to push from the radial side of the child's thumb tip to the root for 100-500 times.
2. Tonify the kidney meridian: Hold the child's left hand with the right hand, palm facing up, and use the thumb's fingertip of the left hand to push from Yongquan to Xiaoluo for 300-500 times.
3. Push San Guan: Extend the child's left arm with the palm facing inward, hold the child's wrist joint on the ulnar side with the left hand, extend the index finger downward, support the child's forearm, use the index finger and middle finger of the right hand to push from the radial side of the Yangchi point to the Quechi point for 200-300 times.
4. Knead Banmen: Hold the child's right hand with one hand, palm facing up, and use the thumb's fingertip to knead the Dafu point for 200-300 times.
5. Knead the navel: The child lies supine, and use the palm root or the fingertips of the thumb, index finger, and middle finger to knead the navel in a clockwise direction for 100-200 times.
6. Knead Zusanli: The child lies supine, and use the thumb to knead Zusanli for 2-3 minutes.
7. Grasp the corners of the abdomen: The child lies supine, and use the thumbs, index fingers, and middle fingers of three fingers to grasp the corners of the abdomen deeply for 3-5 times.
Tips
Abdominal pain in children is common in clinical practice and has a wide range of causes. It is necessary to make an early diagnosis and pay attention to differential diagnosis to avoid delay in treatment.
Massage is effective for general functional abdominal pain, while worm-infestation-induced abdominal pain requires antiparasitic drugs. For some organic diseases causing abdominal pain, massage can help relieve pain, but comprehensive treatment is often required.
During treatment, it is important to keep the child's abdomen warm and avoid exposure to cold. Pay attention to food hygiene and avoid overeating.
